Synchronized apparatus



M. J. JOHNSON.

SYNCHRONIZED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYSI, 1920.

Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

s2 4 TTOHNEY M. J. JOHNSON.

SYNCHRONlZED APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULYSI. 1920.

1,431,666, Patented 1%), 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4 TTORNEV Patented Oct. 10, 1922.

.UNITED STATES IANIBED J. JOHNSON, OI NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRISTOL p 1,431,666 PATENT OFFICE.

COMPANY, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

SYNCHRONIZED APPARATUS.

Application filed July 31, 1920. Serial No. 400,540.

To all whom, zit-may conccm:

Be it known that I, MANFRED J. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Naugatuck in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Synchronized Apparatus, of which the followin is a specification.

he invention relates to improvements in automatically synchronized apparatus in which movement imparted to one member will instantaneously and automatically be communicated to one or more apparatus so.

that the same will operate in perfect synchronism therewith without further attention or adjustment. In Patent No. 1,234,- 127, granted to The Bristol Company July 24th, 1917, there is illustrated and described apparatus of this character, said apparatus being operated solely under the influence of alternating current.

The apparatus set forth in the aforesaid patent provides for the direct driving of the phonograph or similar apparatus from the corresponding rotor member of a synchronized unit. In accordance with the present invention, however, particularly in the case of sound recording or reproducing apparatus, it is an object to avoid placing this additional variable load, of revolving an armature or rotor for the apparatus, upon mechanism required to also induce the current for synchronously operating the other member or members. In the reproduction of sound, it will be understood that it is very essential for the velocity of the rotation of the recording or reproducing disk to be maintained perfectly uniform in order that the purest quality of tone be obtained; and, therefore, that no external influence such as a variable load should affect same. While the arrangement set forth in the said patent No. 1,234,127 Will effect perfect synchronization, yet it will be appreciated that the variable load factor might be objectionable in connection with sound recording or reproducing apparatus; and it is the object of the present invention to provide means for affording the, synchronizing electrical current in such a manner that no appreciable resisting load will be added to the sound recording or reproducing apparatus which may then be driven by independent means and readily governed to afford uniform speed. This results in recording or reproducing speech, songs or prolonged musical notes in their natural pure quality. The invention contemplates, furthermore, apparatus which may be designed for use with either direct or alternating current.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention- Fig. 1 illustrates more or less diagrammatically the eneral arrangement of the novel synchronizing system; and as one embodiment of the invention the same has been shown applied to the synchronization of sound reproducing mechanism and motion picture apparatus. It will be understood, of course, that I do not restrict myself to the particular application shown as it will be appreciated that the invention is broadly applicable to the synchronization of various devices and mechanisms.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electrical connections. 7

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the transmitting portion of the synchronized system, which transmitter is herein indicated as driven, by way of example, from a sound reproducing or recording mechanism 11 of any well-known construction and designed to impart rotation to a shaft 12. This shaft, in the apparatus shown, drivesa turn-table 13 adapted to carry a record or impression disk 14 by which the sound is reproduced or recorded in well-known manner. As shown, this sound reproducing mechanism is designed to operate in synchronism with motion picture apparatus 15 which is driven by a motor 16 under control of synchronized apparatus 17, all of which is more fully set forth in a co-pending application, Serial No. 313,263 assigned to said The Bristol Co. As is heretofore noted, I do not desire to re-- strict myself to the particular apparatus synchronized nor to the particular manner of effecting the rotation of the transmitting member, the invention having for its ob'ect purely the manner of effecting synchroniza tion between two or more members and irrespective of the method of effecting the initial movement of one of them. It is to be understood in this connection that the motion picture apparatus 15 or other apparatus could be driven directly from the synchronized apparatus 17 instead of being controlled v thereby and that rotation could be imparted to the shaft 12 in manner other than as indicated herein.

For the particular combination set forth, however, I have found it especially satisfactory to have the shaft 12 rotated by the usual spring motor or by an electric motor (not shown) well-known in connection with the driving of phonographic apparatus; and the motion picture apparatus controlled by a transmission gear 18 under the influence of the apparatus 17, which latter or receiver apparatus 17 is absolutely controlled by the transmitting apparatus 10, all of which is more fully set forth in the aforesaid copending application.

The receiver apparatus is substantiall of the nature of that disclosed in the said atent No. 1,234,127 in which there is a rotor member 20 and a stator member 21. The

winding of the stator member is of the poly-.

phase type, while the rotor member is wound, and energized from a source 22 of direct or alternating current, to set up a predetermined magnetic field Whose axis will be rotated through the reaction set up between said field and the rotating field produced in the transmitter member. This causes the said rotor 20 of the receiver member to closely and smoothly follow the movement in the transmitter apparatus 10. The latter includes a pair of rotatable brushes 26, which are arranged 180 degrees apart and to rotate with the shaft 12, for example as in being fixedly secured thereon but insulated therefrom. A rotating field is produced, also, by thisvtransmitter apparatus in the stator 21 of the receiver member, the same being obtained from a winding 27 which is divided into an even number of sections connected to commutator bars 28. Taps 30, 31 and 32 equidistantly taken therefrom at 120 intervals, are connected to corresponding parts of the stator 21. The brushes 26 are connected with the source of current 22, through leads 29, as well as with the rotor 20 of the receiver which is included in series therewith, as through slip rings 33 on shaft 12 and upon which slip rin s bear brushes 34.

The winding sections 2 may be of straight resistance for direct current or of inductive resistance or reactance for alternating current; and is preferably of the latter, as with rings 33 and brushes 34. Moreover, direct current may be employed with the improved system as well as alternating current; and is not broken during operation, thus eliminating sparking. Furthermore, the voltage between any two consecutive sections may be made comparatively low by providing the requisite number of commutator bars and dividing the winding accordingly.

In the operation of the transmitting apparatus 10, a plurality, for example, three electromotive forces, will vary harmonically and at a rate depending on the speed of the brushes 26 around the commutator 28 of the said transmitter apparatus. It will be noted, also, that the action is not reversible as in the case of the system set forth in U. S. Patent N 0. 1,234,127.

I claim:

Synchronized apparatus, comprising a source of alternating current, a rotatable transmitter member and a rotatable receiver member, the latter including a stator having a poly-phase winding and a rotor in series with the source of alternating current; and the former including a rotatable shaft, a stationary winding divided into a plurality of reactance coils connected to corresponding commutator bars disposed about said rotatable shaft and having taps equidistantly taken therefrom and connected to corresponding points of the stator of the receiver member, brushes connected in series with said source of alternating current and the rotor of the receiver member and bearing upon said commutator bars and rotated from said rotatable shaft.

Signed at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, this 29th day of July, A. D. 1920.

MANFRED J. JOHNSON. 

